The "what bike bits have you just bought" thread
Discussion
Stugots said:
Nige did you use existing avid discs. Going to do same upgrade I've got 185 front and 160 rear discs.
Yes I did, they seem fine.I needed to do some adjustment of the clearance, as the spacers had odd amount of washers.
The front ones went on fine, and I used the the bolts that came with the xt's.
The back ones were a bit of a bodge though, the new Shimano bolts did not reach through the 40mm spacer,so I used the bolts from the avid callipers and put all,the washers on the outside of the bolt head!
Titanium Skewers from Hong Kong bought on Ebay. Only £7 delivered and 49g for the pair 
The locking nut on my current skewers cracked, so obviously I had no choice to replace/upgrade.
A bit of advice to anyone looking to buy bike bits from china. The published weights aren't always accurate. My bars were advertised at about 190g, but when I weighed them, they were 221g. I complained to the seller and got a fiver back, so the bars ended up costing me £36, which is still a bargain.
My next purchase will be titanium bolts (bottle cage and stem) and after that carbon fibre spacers. The spacers are cheap as chips on Ebay
The locking nut on my current skewers cracked, so obviously I had no choice to replace/upgrade.
A bit of advice to anyone looking to buy bike bits from china. The published weights aren't always accurate. My bars were advertised at about 190g, but when I weighed them, they were 221g. I complained to the seller and got a fiver back, so the bars ended up costing me £36, which is still a bargain.
My next purchase will be titanium bolts (bottle cage and stem) and after that carbon fibre spacers. The spacers are cheap as chips on Ebay
Not wishing to offend but just a general query, would people be so happy to order cheap replacement parts for their car from an unknown source in China? I.E. New front hub for your 3 Series? I get scared enough when descending hills as it is looking down on skinny tyres and wheels without wondering if that critical component I bought last week from ebay is about to explode.
tuffer said:
Not wishing to offend but just a general query, would people be so happy to order cheap replacement parts for their car from an unknown source in China? I.E. New front hub for your 3 Series? I get scared enough when descending hills as it is looking down on skinny tyres and wheels without wondering if that critical component I bought last week from ebay is about to explode.
Of course, I'm a Yorkshireman, short arms and deep pockets.Just bought a pair of 2014 Specialized All Condition Armadillo Elite winter tyres. Not my usual go-to tyres, but late on Saturday I discovered my winter tyres were torn to bits so needed something pronto for a Sunday ride - lbs had Conti's or Spech - don't get on with Conti's to Spech it was!
Initial impressions; heavy (285g), and not very supple - however grip was excellent, rolling resistance was good once up to speed, transition and cornering is good for a winter tyre. Yet to ride them in heavy rain but so far so good - I think they will make decent commuters or winter training tyres.
Initial impressions; heavy (285g), and not very supple - however grip was excellent, rolling resistance was good once up to speed, transition and cornering is good for a winter tyre. Yet to ride them in heavy rain but so far so good - I think they will make decent commuters or winter training tyres.
tuffer said:
Not wishing to offend but just a general query, would people be so happy to order cheap replacement parts for their car from an unknown source in China? I.E. New front hub for your 3 Series? I get scared enough when descending hills as it is looking down on skinny tyres and wheels without wondering if that critical component I bought last week from ebay is about to explode.
If you research Powerway, Joytech or Novatec, you will see that far from being an "unknown source", they are major players in the component market and all those OEM wheel parts that are fitted to low to mid range bikes and branded Giant, Trek or Specialised are almost certainly from one of the manufacturerers listed above. Giant et al play on your fears and will happily charge you three times for the same item with their name on it becuase you trust their name and they want you to think Powerway are made in a shed, dont fall for it.Sure there is cheap crap out there that will fail quickly but there are a vast number of reliable and proven suppliers of bike parts in the Far East who you may already be relying on without realising it!
TwistingMyMelon said:
WinstonWolf said:
This
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FQCQO16/ref=pe_38572...
Because I'm sick of getting windburn on my cheeks and I want to scare people
Tempted by that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FQCQO16/ref=pe_38572...
Because I'm sick of getting windburn on my cheeks and I want to scare people
Keep me warm and visible on commute.
5 of these as I have gone through so many in the past 3 days
No clearance for traditional mud guards so one of these to save my backside at least
And from Decathlon: Outfitters to the Gentry
Keep my dry-ish and visible on the commute
Visible and warmish for winter weekends
Vocal Minority said:
Are they stretchy enough to allow the front to pull down for a quick tinkle without having to take off your jersey? Or is there a technique that my imagination hasn't thought up yet?
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